Tales of Spider Men
by Sakura123
Summary: A series of drabbles spanning from the Spider-Men of 616, 1610, animated and Beenox universes. Featuring Miguel O'Hara, Peter Parker, May "Mayday" Parker, Miles Morales and Mary Jane Watson-Parker. COMPLETE.
1. That Jackpot

**Tales of Spider-Men**

* * *

**Author:** Sakura123 (weber_dubois22)

**Genre:** General/Friendship/Adventure

**Rating: T**

**Category: Spider-Man Multiverse (animated; Beenoxverse; 616; 1610; 2099)**

**Written:** 7/14/2012

**Finished:** 8/17/2012

**Characters:** Peter Parker; Miguel O'Hara; Miles Morales; Mary Jane Watson; Mayday Parker

**Summary:** A series of drabbles spanning from the Spider-Men of 616, 1610, animated and Beenox universes. Well, almost every Spider-Man.

**Disclaimer:**_ Spider-Man_, and all things related to the franchise, is property of MARVEL COMICS, Peter David, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Brian Michael Bendis, Activision/Beenox and the Walt Disney corp.

**Authors Note:** The last time I wrote anything for Spider-Man I was about fourteen and sufficed to say none of them were very good in retrospect. I'll probably never write a full length story with a consistent continuity, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to write a few drabbles to detoxify on the Spider-Man high I've been experiencing thanks to, you guessed it, Ultimate Marvel's _Spider-Men_ crossover, _Spider-Man 2099_, Spider-Girl, _Spider-Man: Edge of Time_ and rewatching _Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-1998)_. The series here is pretty TAS-centric as this show gave me a crapton of feels and broken hearts that cannot be concealed.

* * *

**Title:** That Jackpot

**Universe:** _Spider-Man: The Animated Series_

**Summary:** Tag for "The Return of the Spider-Slayers"; a peek into the awestruck mind of Peter Parker after meeting Mary Jane Watson.

* * *

And to think he'd been dreading this like a man preparing for his end. Who could dread this red-haired beauty? The woman that stood before him was a confident and vibrant as the words that struck him stupid with a smile.

"Well?"

Peter blinked, the feeling in his face was slowly returning as his smile shrank and his teeth fell back behind the cover his thin lips. _C'mon, Parker, think, think. Don't stand there looking like a bonehead._ "Uh, hi, I'm Peter," Smooth maestro, smooth. Mary Jane laughed a little, her bodacious posture relaxing into a less dramatic pose. "I gathered that much, sport," She smiled. "I'm Mary Jane, your blind date."

"Oh- uh, of course, right!" _Duh. _Peter's tongue was useless to him. His mind tripped over what to say next, how to say it without coming off completely ridiculous. Nothing came to him. He swallowed and pulled a little at his collar, his embarrassment rising above the point of maximum. "Uh, would you like to come in?" He asked, stepping back from the door and opening the entrance to her.

"Sure, it's what I'm here for," Mary Jane gave him another wink and sashayed past him. Peter shut the door behind him and fell against it, his knees feeling more than a little wobbly. He took a moment to catch his breath before he followed Mary Jane into the living room. May stepped out of the kitchen delighted to see the young woman.

"May Parker, nice to see ya again," Mary Jane embraced May. "It's so good to see you as well, Mary Jane," The elderly woman returned the show of affection, a little taken aback. Peter maintained his distance, plenty happy to see that there was already a strong connection between them.

"Oh, dear, don't let me keep you, you've got a date!" May pulled away from Mary Jane and began to fuss with her curls, a sure sign she was flustered or getting there. Mary Jane waved her off, her hand falling on her jutting hip once again. "Don't sweat it, May, I wouldn't mind spending the night here and I'm sure Peter wouldn't either, would ya, tiger?"

_Yes I would._ Peter found himself thinking despite the forced smile on his lips. "No, not at all," He answered hoping he didn't sound as nervous as he was feeling. "Oh, dear, are you sure? I know how important first impressions are," May said, her concern ever present. _You don't know the half of it, Aunt May,_ Peter thought to himself, trying his best not look so obvious in his appraisal of Mary Jane.

There was a flicker of an expression on Mary Jane's face that Peter didn't quite catch; his first instinct was the fall back his spider-sense, but all was quiet in his head. The woman placed a consolidating hand on May's shoulder and smiled. "I was just kidding, May, but I'd love to have dinner at your place sometime, but we've gotta run," Mary Jane turned and closed the distance between herself and him. "C'mon, Peter, time's a-wastin'." She headed back into the hall.

"Right, see later Aunt May," Peter farewelled his aunt in a distracted voice. If she replied he didn't hear her. Stepping out the door, Peter barely got the chance to shut it when he was grabbed by the arm and lead down the sidewalk. "So, what did you have in mind?"

"Uh-I uh," _think fast, Pete, think fast, "_There's this great a restaurant a lot the students go to for lunch, dinner and breakfast. You game?"

"Sure, I think I know the place your talking about."

"You do?"

"Yeah, my friend Liz Allan works there," Mary Jane explained. "Gives me all kinds of discounts when she can."

"Huh," Peter smiled. "Fancy that."

"It's a small world after all?" Mary Jane chuckled.

"Something like that."

* * *

**TBC**


	2. Guilty until Proven Innocent

**Title:** Guilty until Proven Innocent

**Universe:** _Spider-Man: Edge of Time/Spider-Man 2099_

**Summary:** Miguel deals with the troubles of Alchemax and Walker Sloan's mysterious behavior.

* * *

Mornings were never a good time for Miguel when he had something on his mind (come to think of it, neither was nights). He woke up agitated, wound up and ready tear into the nearest creep in the city. The anxiety never alleviated itself until he resolved whatever was on his mind. He opted to sleep on the couch, leaving the bed to his wife, in fear of harming her. Of course where he ended up wasn't the couch, but a hammock of his design, while not the most comfortable thing on earth it relaxed him, allowed him get a few hours of shuteye.

"You know, I hate it when you do this," He opened his eyes to find a bleary eyed Xina Kwan staring at him, tooth brush in one hand and a towel draped over her shoulder. Miguel yawned and untangled himself from the webs that suspended him above ground. "I know, I know, but-"

"It helps you think, I know," She smiled warily, rubbing her shoulder with her free hand. "Just try to clean up before you head into Alchemax today. I nearly walked into the last one you made." As if to make a point she pulled at the ends of her hair. "That stuff isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world to get out of my hair." Miguel raised his hands in mock surrender, his mind uncoiling itself from the disorientation of slumber.

"Alright, I'll remember this time, promise." Taking the webbing down wasn't a hard request, the natural adhesive of the web never hindered him, it merely caused a problem when it came to taking things down without tearing the wall away (one of the many reasons why he usually never did this unless he really needed to sleep).

"In trouble again, Miggy?" Miguel turned to face Lyla's chipper façade with a smile. "You could say that, Lyla," He replied, yanking the web from the wall.

"Sleep well?"

"Better than you, Lyla."

"That's funny, because I don't sleep," Along with declaring the obvious the program followed up with a laugh.

"Right again, Lyla," He intoned. "Is Xina almost done? I've really gotta head out."

"Mrs. Kwan-O'Hara has been in the bathroom for a total of fifteen minutes and I suspect she isn't done yet," Lyla answered.

"Right, I knew that," Miguel muttered to himself as he rolled the webbing up into a compact ball, his finger nails unfurled and acting like needles guiding the strands of the web in a circular motion.

"If it's any inclination, she hasn't locked the door. As in, the door has been left slightly ajar," For all her intelligence, there were times he wished she were more subtle. He tossed the web in a corner and proceeded to pull his shirt off. "Thanks Lyla, I got the message," He grinned, heading toward the bathroom.

* * *

As a company, Alchemax wasn't doing as well as the people who mattered had hoped it would after Tyler Stone stepped down as CEO of the company. Annual revenue was at an all-time low, employment was declining and Stark-Fujikawa was beating them out of every major contract that could've given them a leg up in the competition. As the new CEO, Miguel wasn't exactly taking the news well and most of the employees were beginning to fear they'd lose their jobs when rumors of Stark-Fujikawa wanting to acquire his company began to circulate. Alchemax, for all the bad it's thrown at him, was like his second home. He couldn't lose it.

Part of him wondered if his responsibilities as Spider-Man were at the crux of the company's decline and there was always the grim possibility that one of Stark-Fujikawa key liaisons was taking advantage of their unique position as partners to further Stark's success.

He believed the first more than he did the latter; Stark-Fujikawa was a lot of things, but a snake wasn't one of them. He wouldn't put it past Walker Sloan to throw him under the bus, though. A relatively established employee of the company, Sloan was as questionable as they came. If he barely trusted Stone during his tenure as CEO, then he didn't trust Miguel at all. The man was known for his genius-level intellect, his involvement with several projects at Alchemax let Miguel know why he was still on the payroll, but his behavior as of late did more than trip his suspicions.

His previous encounters with man and his dodgy way of implying he was 'hard at work' on a 'new project' in the time research lab were enough to keep Miguel up at night and well into the morning. Anytime he questioned how his research was going, Sloan was either evasive or deliberately vague about the progress of the timegate. If he had a spider-sense, Miguel was sure it would be going off like a ringing bell on an alarm.

* * *

"Sloan, we need to talk," Walker removed his gaze from the datapad in front him with a barely audible sigh. This was the fourth interruption in the last half hour, only this time it was from the Big Man himself. Grinding his teeth slightly, he kept his cool and regarded O'Hara with as much disinterest as possible. "Miguel O'Hara, what a surprise," He said. "To what do I owe the honor of your presence in my humble research lab?"

Miguel ignored the indirect jabs and got straight to the point. "I wanted to know where you were on your timegate project."

"Oh, that, well, I really can't say much about it," Walker's eyes swiveled over to Joseph who's hologram paused with fiddling with the system controls long enough to realize he was being watched by Miguel. Miguel raised an eyebrow, arbitrarily adjusting his glasses. "Well, when you can tell me about it?" He gestured to the large and spacious lab, mindful of the older man's wandering gaze. "It's been over seven months and you've yet to show us anything from your research. You aren't backing down on your promise to tap the fourth dimension's energy source, are you?"

"No at all, O'Hara, but greatness isn't to be rushed," Walker smiled thinly at the young man, placing his hands behind his back. "Time travel is a complicated creature, especially when concerned with opening portals that interlink dimensions. The slightest miscalculation could prove disastrous for both worlds."

"I'm well aware of the theorized dangers of time travel, Walker. It doesn't excuse that you're on a deadline and deadlines need to be met here," Miguel argued. "Have something for me before the end of this year or-"

"Or what, exactly, O'Hara?" Walker interjected, wrinkled eyelids narrowing. "I'd say you have a lot more to worry about in regards to Alchemax than anything I'm working on."

"Everyone and everything affects Alchemax as a business, including lagging projects," Said Miguel. "It's a simple request, get your research in order, and show me what you've come up."

"Of course, of course," Walker put on another smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. "I'll get right on that." Miguel reframed from saying anything more and turned to leave. "Have a lovely afternoon, Mr. O'Hara," Joseph said to his retreating back.

* * *

"So what's the problem? He is doing anything besides slacking on his job?" Xina inquired, her brow furrowed.

"I don't know and that's the problem," Miguel answered. "He says he working on a way to harness the energy from the fourth dimension and that he plans on using the decommissioned timegate in order to access it, but it's more than that. Nothing like this takes as long as he has, not our day in age. He might've had an excuse in 2007."

"Miguel, maybe you're just being paranoid,"

"Believe me, I'd like to believe that myself, but I can't," He said. "Everytime I talk to him, I'm on edge. He's hiding something. I can just feel it in my bones."

"Better get that checked," Xina joked.

Despite his mood, Miguel grinned. "I'll have Lyla look me over after work. But, seriously, Xina, ever since he's arrived, I've felt like everything's been spinning out of control. No one thinks I can handle the CEO position, the responsibility. Co-workers, even the board, they all seem to look to him now because of his age, his experience. Even I find myself doing it when he's not being a total ass. It's disturbing really."

"For your ego or in general?"

"A little bit of both, I think," Miguel readjusted his position on the web spread beneath himself and Xina, supporting them between the narrow space of the skyscrapers. They really shouldn't even be doing this kind of thing, especially with the Public Eye buzzing around, looking for trouble or Spider-Man. "Ah, who knows, maybe I'm just jealous," He grumbled.

"Miguel, I've seen you jealous and I can definitely say this is not one of those times," Xina said. "If you think this Walker is shady, then just keep a tab on him. Don't approach unless you have concrete evidence to catch him."

"That's easy for you to say," Miguel rolled his eyes. "You're not being scrutinized by the whole of the company because of rumors of acquisition."

"Don't sweat the small stuff, Miggy. You'll get the company back on its feet in no time," Xina encouraged him, running her fingers through his curls. As she tried to stand, Miguel was quick to pull his mask back over his head and steadied her with his hands on her waist. "Easy, this is stuff is strong, but it'll just as easily send you for a fall," He grinned. "Want a ride back to work?"

Xina wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned. "Yes, please."

"Alright, hang on," Miguel wrapped his arm around her waist and leapt from the web. He allowed them to free fall for a moment before bending his wrist downward. He let loose a stream of web and gripped hard. Xina remained cool throughout it all as he gathered momentum and traveled through the chaotic traffic and twisting maze of buildings.

* * *

**TBC**


	3. Causes and Effects

**Title:** Causes and Effects

**Universe:** _Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man/Spider-Men_

**Summary:** 616 Peter Parker ruminates over the implications of Miles and his younger self.

* * *

"_So, you're Spider-man?"_

At first he was willing to believe the entire scenario was just a bad dream from a knock on the head, or even one of Mysterio's hallucinations. A boy literally half his age got the better him not once, but twice and with an ability that could give the other Spider-Men's spider-powers a run for their money.

"_Yeah, if that's okay?"_

He never realized he'd been tagged until he got the jolt; then it was a matter of leaning where it hurt the least despite the lack of control over his motor functions. Cooped up in a Triskelion cell, he allowed himself to rattle off at the mouth everything he could possibly comprehend at the moment. He was presumably in some topsy-turvy world where everyone who was white was now black (and cooler), a woman or a child could be Spider-Man and wearing his own costume was "in bad taste".

"_Not, Spider-Boy?"_

Compound things even further with the idea that another, even younger version of himself was dead, killed in the line of duty and Peter Parker could officially call the implosion of his mind a mental breakdown.

"_No."_

Miles, he was just a kid, baby even. He had no business in that suit, playing the hero and throwing himself headlong into danger. He should've been at home with his family, playing games or making friends. The way he spoke, his mannerisms, the sheer enthusiasm he exhibited by simply being in his general area, it all spoke to his youth. Hell, he even apologized for zapping him twice. No one ever apologized to Spider-Man much less thanked him!

It made him wonder if he truly grasped the awesome responsibility that burdened his shoulders. Granted, he as just a kid himself when his own journey began, but it didn't seem right to put another through this hardship, his alternate-self included.

"_Please. Please, let this be a dream."_

Why wasn't there an alternate version of himself that never- oh, wait, there was and he still turned out to be Spider-Man (or Iron-Spider, whichever). If suffering or the loss a loved one wasn't the prerequisite of becoming Spider-Man, then what was that it kept as a constant in his and others lives? Did Miles feel responsible to carry on his other self's legacy because of Peter's death or did he truly believe in words of his late uncle?

It didn't seem fair to this kid.

* * *

**TBC**


	4. Save Red

**Title:** Save Red

**Universe:** _Spider-Man Edge of Time/Spider-Man 2099_

**Summary:** For Miguel, it's the bigger picture that's important. What good would it do to save a girl if their universe ended?

* * *

This was stupid, this was crazy, and this was a lot of other words associated with insanity and madness. He'd like to say he was guilt tripped into going off-road and into a daring rescue mission to save a damsel in distress, that the guilt complex of another was slowly infecting him the longer they spent in each other's heads serving as the other's moral compasses.

Truth of the matter was, on some level, whether he chose to acknowledge it or not, he wanted to do this. He would whine and snark his way all the way through the valley of mutated tentacles, but he wanted to do this. If not for Mary Jane then for Peter. After all, what if their roles were reserved? What if it was Xina, Dana, his mother or brother on the line? Wouldn't he be asking Peter do the exact thing he was just now?

_Maybe,_ he thought stubbornly. _Maybe yes, maybe no_. Miguel wouldn't give himself a straight answer in fear of lowering himself to the same impulsive and emotional nature he liked to think himself above. Traversing the corridors of Alchemax he came upon Mary Jane without ever reaching her more times than he would care to count. She was frightened, scared for herself (maybe even Peter) and she heard him, but she couldn't see him. The bright lights and savage tentacles thrashing around her made sure of that much, driving her further and further away from him.

He became frustrated, angry even, at her and at himself. Time was moving too slowly, he wasn't moving fast enough, she was too quick for him. Obstacle after obstacle continued to detour him and the panicked voice belonging to Peter screaming in his head through their mental bond made his skin crawl. Everything was betting against him, it was like fate wanted him to lose. Web-swinging, running, none of it seemed to make a difference until he heard her crying for help again.

Behind the diagonal and misshapen tentacle shooting through the wall, Mary Jane sat huddled against the wall of the elevator, legs against her chest and arms around her legs. She knew he wasn't Peter – or in this case, Spider-Man - though she alluded to some strange similarity at the same time noting their differences. "Peter sent me," Three little magic words seemed all she needed to calm herself and thrust her life into his hands.

And from there, aside from figuring out how to chase off the tentacles, everything seemed to be rolling in his favor. He was a mere few feet away from Mary Jane when another onslaught of temporal rifts let loose another set of spindly arms and snapped the cables of the elevator and send her screaming down the shaft in on a one way ticket to the end of her life.

Caution be damned, he dove after her, completely invested in saving her life. He'd never be able to move fast enough for Peter, he couldn't move fast enough for himself, but he wouldn't let her die.

Miguel, I know you really didn't want to do this, but please!"

"Peter, I swear to you, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I could save her!" Twisting, turning and dodging, Miguel followed her through the unending shaft, ripping away the once important articles of the elevator, dashed when the final piece sent him flying backward and further away from his goal. Another twist through the elevator shaft finally brought him to Mary Jane, and without hesitation he extended his hand to her.

Mere seconds from disaster he pulled them out of literal jaws of death, free-rising through the shaft and onto a non-descript floor of the building. The combined rush of adrenaline, the smell of perfume and the beat of her heart against his chest, made his legs go weak.

So this was the legendary Mary Jane Watson? Far be it from their current situation to make a first impression on him, but her words alone - her soft spoken tone, the absolute trust she showed to a complete stranger in a mask, the way she said 'Peter' - let him know why his friend cared so much for her.

"Alright, I'm going to leave you here for a while, just until I get things under control," Miguel told her as he sat her on a couch in an isolated office.

"Is Peter alright? Those things outside-"

"Don't worry, he's not in any danger. As soon as things are settled, I'll bring him to you, alright?"

Mary Jane nodded, hesitant to remove her grip from his arms. "Look, I know you're scared, but there's nothing to worry about. As long that door is shut, nothing can reach you-" _I hope_, "-I'll make sure of it."

"Okay, I trust you. Be careful, Spider-Man."

Miguel nodded. "I will."

This was definitely not the first time he'd ever done something like this, but damn if the combined thanks of Mary and Peter weren't making him feel as though he'd won the lottery. The world didn't end, he rescued the girl and he still had time to salvage his own timeline. It was worth it.

* * *

**TBC**


	5. Lunchtime

**Title:** Lunchtime

**Universe:** _Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man/MC2 (Spider-Girl)_

**Summary:** Mayday and Miles do lunch on a rooftop in the middle of a crime lull.

* * *

"I've never met a Spider-Girl before," In any other case May might've found that comment slightly offensive and mildly ignorant, but this kid, Miles, seemed truly honest in where he was coming from.

"Well, maybe I have, but she was called Spider-Woman."

Okay, she retracted her statement. Mayday raised an eyebrow and finished chewing the rest of her sandwich. "Well, there are a lot of Spider-Women, but I'm the first Spider-Girl. Not so sure if that's a good thing though, considering the denotations behind the use of 'girl' with women."

The eyes of Miles' mask squinted to match the skeptical look on his face as he chewed on the edge of his French fry. "If it's any consolation, my mom doesn't like being called a girl," He supplied.

"Well, yeah, but most mothers don't," May answered. "I know my mom doesn't."

"Is your mom… is she Mary Jane Watson?"

"Ahh, uh, I can't say."

"But if you're Spider-Girl, isn't Peter Parker your dad? Is he Spider-Man in this dimension?"

There were two ways this conversation could with whatever answer she chose to give him; plausible deniability, she could say her parents were someone else entirely and simply make him look silly despite his deadly accuracy.

She could tell the truth and worry about the repercussions of exposing her father's retired identity to another person. What would her dad or Uncle Ben do in this situation? Tell him or brush him off with some sort of distraction. A distraction could be really awesome at this point.

As if to answer her silent prayer, the sound of glass popping and thunderous booms right across the way echoed toward them. Miles stood up; his fists were clenched and his head was ringing from his spider-sense. He looked to Mayday as if to ask what happened, but she shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, search me, I thought the bad guys were all on vacation," She said. "Wanna go check it out?"

"Like we're going to do anything else?" Miles retorted, excited. Mayday grinned, suddenly comfortable with another Spider-Man fighting alongside her. She let loose a web from her shooter and hopped onto the ledge. "Uh… need a ride?" Miles ducked his head, eyes trying not to focus on wrists which currently lacked web shooters. "I can run," He said.

"Nah, I wouldn't do that to you," She smiled. "We'll get there faster like this anyway."

"You sure that won't be, like weird?"

"Hey, I won't tell if you don't and besides it's just a piggyback ride. Pretty sure they can't arrest superheroes for piggy back rides."

"Okay," Miles climbed onto her back, blushing all the while. Once his arms were secured around her neck, Mayday leapt from the ledge and swung toward the call of danger.

* * *

**TBC**


	6. Discombobulate

**Title:** Discombobulate

**Universe:** _Spider-Man: The Animated Series_

**Summary:** Set during 5x12: "I Really Really Hate Clones". Peter Parker was a multi-billion dollar superhero with life in the palm of his hand.

* * *

Peter Parker was a multi-billion dollar superhero with life in the palm of his hand and it was all because he chose to trip a petty thief on his way out of the wrestling arena.

Or at least that's what the mystical floating Spider-Woman was telling him.

Granted, it wasn't his problem, and he could've have easily let the crook get away, but he didn't. And it didn't change a thing in his life, cosmetically or fundamentally.

Sure, his parents, aunt and uncle eventually found out about his double life as a masked entertainer and the love of his life, Gwen Stacy, would finally say 'yes' to him on the eve of their college graduation, but he couldn't find anything detrimental about the world knowing who he was behind the mask, let alone the consequences of never failing at what he put his mind to.

He couldn't relate the angst stricken Peter Parkers who'd lost their parents and uncle Ben, Peter Parkers who had to be guilted into doing the right thing and being responsible for their actions like grown men.

Winners were successful, winners were heroes, and he was raised by them. His family couldn't be more proud of the work he was doing for the city of New York and the world on a whole. Despite the wealth that came with his personal success, he knew the worth of human life, he knew what losing a loved one did a person. It was why he saved people after all.

"But do you _understand_, Mr. Parker, what it does to a person, you who have never truly lost anyone in your short life?" Madame Webb inquired. "Do you understand what death creates?"

"Sure, I do," He answered and received a condemnatory look from every Spider-Man except the one lurking the back. Okay, so maybe he could've been a little more considerate of his alternate selves, but he was a little shell-shocked and put out. One moment he's talking with Gwen, going his over his speech for the party, the next he's enshrouded by purple smog that his finance doesn't seem to notice and dropped into a ring of Spider-Men he initially believed were imposters. (Thank goodness for his armored spider suit, otherwise he'd have trouble telling himself apart from the others despite their aesthetic differences.)

He couldn't see a downside to not failing.

What he did see a problem in, however, was following who ultimately a Peter Parker with the decision processing skills of a snail. He took way too long to plan things out, he should've been put in charge. It was hard not to feel inconvenienced by the whole end of the universe, it really was, but if he could help then he would.

* * *

**TBC**


	7. Miggy Mayday

**Title:** Miggy Mayday

**Universe:** _Spider-Girl (MC2)/Spider-Man 2099_

**Summary: **Spider Bros, Miguel O'Hara and Peter Park take a moment to hang out and watch the sunset at a construction site.

* * *

The symbiote careened down from the support beam in a tangle of electricity and pulse frequencies, screeching all the way the down toward the sandy pit. Peter watched its descent until it splattered across the dirt, reducing it to a mere blood smear below them.

Careful not to adjust his fingers on the webline, he tore his gaze from the scene of the crime and focused on the body hanging limp against him supported only by a single arm wrapped around his upper body.

The combined weight of his and Miguel's bodies made him painfully aware of the gravity bearing down on them as they dangled idly in mid-air, a fair distance from the ground. "Mi-Miguel, you still with us?" Peter asked. Miguel stirred with a dejected groan of pain, his feet kicked slightly from the muscle spasm that traveled down his spine to his legs. Peter grimaced when Miguel's talons unfurled and his fingers made clawing motions at the air around him. "Dude, watch the nails, I'm not made of steel," Peter grumbled.

"Ugh, I hate your dimension," It was all Miguel muster by way of a response.

"I could think of a couple things I'm not so crazy about in 2099, myself," Peter rebuked, casting a look around. They were too far from the skeleton of the building to make a full swing, Miguel was sure to take a fall if he even tried. "On a scale of one to ten, how do you feel?"

"Somewhere between six and seven," Miguel replied. "I really can't move all that great."

"Uh, that would probably be from the reverse engineered venom Mayday made," Peter intoned. "It was supposed to break the chemical bond between you and the symbiote long enough to hit you with a high frequency pulse. And hey, it worked! Venom's down for the count and you're moderately okay."

"Yeah, a little too well," Miguel slurred. "Your daughter's a little mad scientist."

"Hey, it runs in the family," Spider-Man glanced up as May stepped into view, her diminutive figure appeared smaller from where he was hanging at the present. "Daddy, is he alright?" May shouted to him.

"No," Miguel huffed.

"Yeah, Miggy's fine, May, just a little cranky," Peter answered. "Look, I need you to check on the patient while I get us down from here. Think you can do that?"

"Yeah, no problem," May gave her father a thumbs up and headed back the way she came.

"Tell me again, for clarity's sake, which Peter Parker are you?"

"Uh, according to Madame Webb, I'm the Spider-Man of quadrant 982," Peter answered as he started to lower them toward the ground. "And yourself, for clarity's sake I mean?"

"Miguel O'Hara of "quadrant" 2099, the future earth of whatever universe it happens to stem from, I guess," Miguel replied, making quotations with his fingers.

"Well, hey, now that we're all reacquainted again, let's get you down from here and back home," Peter continued to descend at a steady pace, looking out from Venom and May whenever he could. When their feet finally touched the ground, Peter used both his arms to maintain Miguel's balance. "And I thought my head was spinning before," Miguel groaned, gripping onto Peter's shoulders.

"YEOUCH! Nails in shoulders! Nails in shoulders!" Peter yelped. Miguel removed his hands from Peter's shoulders and stepped away from him. "Sorry about that," He apologized, stumbling over to a pile of sand. "Not a problem," Peter replied, his tone higher than usual. Miguel stumbled and dropped to the ground with a moan.

He couldn't even remember how long that creature had a hold of him, let alone what he might've done, but he was grateful May and Peter had successfully removed it from his person. "Dad!" Both men turned in response to May's voice. She leapt out from the half-building with a bundle of animated web, pulse gun in hand. "I caught the sucker trying to escape into the sewers," She presented her father the baggage, eyeholes shapened into smiling eyes. "How's Mr. O'Hara?"

"Uh, Miguel's okay, but I think we might need to whip up an antidote for that venom agent of yours," Peter replied, taking the web pack from her.

May turned to Miguel who current sat with his hands in his head. "Too potent?"

"I think so," Miguel answered wearily.

"Darn, I was really banking that Venom would take the brunt of it, but I guess I was wrong," She grumbled, rubbing her chin in contemplation. "Don't worry, we'll have you back on your feet in no time," May ducked under his arm and helped him stand. She fought against the direction his body tried to go when he started to stumble, her grip firm on his arm. Miguel hid his face in one hand and muttered something to himself. "Sorry your interdimensional vacation turned out so rotten," She said.

"I could think of worse things that could've happened," Miguel responded, peeking out from behind his gloved finger. "But thanks for helping me."

"No problem," May grinned. "Us spider-heroes gotta stick together."

"I guess," Miguel grumbled with a shake of his head as the three of them headed out of the construction site.

* * *

**FIN.**


End file.
